HERE WE GO AGAIN

 **Part of the fun of baseball is second guessing the manager's decision. It's fun because you're always right. It's that hindsight thing. In my opinion, Aaron Boone made two bad decisions in the Yankee's game against the Orioles. (1) Following baseball's Rules Of  Engagement, he pinch hit Aaron Judge, a righty for Rougned Odor, a lefty, against a left-handed pitcher. He won't get fired by the front office for making that move, but he didn't win the battle either. Judge went down 1-2-3. Why take Odor out? He seems to be the only Yankee who has consistently come up with the big hit, regardless of who is pitching. Here's where you have to use your head and your eyes instead of your calculator. (2) In the 10th inning with a runner on 2nd base (Stupid rule!) and no outs, again tradition ruled as he has the batter try to bunt the runner to third. Okay I guess except when he had the hitter try with two strikes. Foul ball, the batter is out and a wasted at bat. It was Tyler Wade hitting. Let him swing away. Even if he makes any kind of out, at least you had a shot. It appears to me that Boone is managing just to save his job rather than trying to win a game. This is real baseball, not a Strat-OMatic board game. 

**Yankee pitcher Mike King got sent down again after being called up two days ago from his last 10-day stint at the Alternate Site, which is, I think,  really just the far end of the dugout. He's been extremely effective this year. Will you guys please leave him alone?

 **The umpires made a terrible call in the Milwaukee/Miami game on Wednesday, costing the Brewers a run. The surprising thing is that Angel Hernandez was NOT involved. The umps also made an arbitrary call in the Oriole/Yankee game Monday night and Angel Hernandez was not involved in that one either. What's going on here, is Angel on sabbatical or something?

**I read that the NFL is instituting new rules to try to limit taunting this year. It will include among other acts, standing over an opponent after a play. While you're at it, why not disallow those staged touchdown celebrations, which get crazier every year. It can be easy to stop them: If a flag is thrown for this infraction, disallow the touchdown. That will shut them right down.

**I like baseball. No, I love baseball. We've been to Major League stadiums all over the country just to watch baseball regardless of who is playing. We think of ourselves as baseball fans who happen to root for the Yankees; because it's all about the game. Not Exit Velo (not a word, by the way), not Spin Rate, or Control vs Command. Just because they claim they can measure spin rate, does not mean we have to hear about it. Along with a batters statistics (batting average, home runs, etc), broadcasters now tell you the recent trends for a hitter, such as, "He's 2 for his last 28." This, at least is helpful. It tells you who is slumping and who isn't. A batter who is hitting .320 overall, currently isn't a .300 hitter if he's mired in a 2 for 28 slump.

A word about Exit Velo. Last night, Michael Kay and David Cone on the YES broadcast, tried to justify the need for Exit Velo. "It's important because the harder a ball is hit, the more likely it will result in a base hit." Probably true but it's information after the fact. A batter hits a ball hard for a double, does it really matter if its velocity is 101 miles per hour or 115? Throw in Launch Angle and projected distance and you're taking all the joy out of home runs. By the way, that distance traveled that they come up with is hogwash. Based on where the ball lands and the distance signs on the fences, their numbers make very little sense. So please let us just watch the game. If you have to know all those numbers, go have a beer with David Cone after the game.

***THEY SAID IT***

"The epidemic continues. Sunday, the Dodgers were up on the Padres, 6-1, after six. Dustin May looked strong, allowing two hits, only one walk and striking out 10. But to the delight of the Padres, Dave Roberts pulled him. Three of the next four Dodgers relievers were bombed. In 11, the Dodgers lost, 7-6."  -- Phil Mushnick  [I guess I'm not alone - CP]

"The Pay-Per-View for Wrestlemania 37 would have been much greater is they had taken my advice and arranged for somebody to body slam Tom Brady."  --  Greg Cote

"Tokyo's annual Naki Sumo rite of passage recently ended where parents bring their young to see wrestlers perform in ways that make the tots wail or cry. The American version is taking your kid to a NY Jets game."  -- RJ Currie

"Rockets guard Kevin Porter Jr. will miss a few games after violating the NBA’s health safety protocols by visiting a Miami strip club. Any possible fines, we assume, will be paid in $1 bills."  -- Dwight Perry

"Ralph Lauren designed the outfits for U.S. Olympians. I can’t tell if he’s dressed the U.S. team for the next space-shuttle mission or an expedition to the South Pole."  -- Pattti Dawn Swansson

"A “report” in the Babylon Bee headlined, “Entire U.S. Water Polo Team Drowns Kneeling for the National Anthem."  -- Sent in by Bill Hoyt

"A Wall Street Journal report said psychologists can consistently pick the loser of a fight by seeing who has the biggest, toothiest smile before they square off. Good luck trying this predictor on NHL players."  -- RJ Currie

"So we’re FINALLY about to be done with months of post-season NFL Draft hype. And now we’re about to be in for months of pre-season NFL Draft analysis."  -- Janice Hough

"Now that MLB seven-inning doubleheader games are here to stay, it’s time to get accustomed to the fifth-inning stretch."  -- Bob Molinaro

" Yesterday evening on the radio Bill Moos said he thinks the Nebraska football team can win nine games next season. Two words come to mind: "Happy Hour."  -- Brad Dickson

"Given that games now regularly include 80 or more 3-point tries — 88 in Tuesday’s Nets-Raptors — I conclude that NBA stands for “Not Basketball Anymore.”  -- Tim Mattice

"CDC guidelines now say you can be outside without a mask if you’re not in a crowd. So Marlins fans should be fine."  -- Janice Hough

Chad Picasner